Bloom Watch #2 – A Blooming Queen’s Court

Hello Everyone,

The Queen is doing her thing, her way, as she always does. This week she has decided to drop some buds that she determined are not supportable. The majority of what is left are in a medium growth range, while some are in stall. I did notice a few fuzzes that may develop into flowers, as well as lots of new stem growth. A few of the reliable plants are pulling their resources back to the tuber to regenerate. Hopefully they will start again later this summer and be ready for next year. This is a normal occurrence that we see every year on a few plants that have been going strong for several years. My observation is she gets tired and just wants a rest.

P. tepalcatepecanus

P. oaxacensis

The Queen’s Court had some blooms. The P. tepalcatepecanus had one flower on the May 25 and then decided to abort the rest of the buds. Mine at home is just starting to bud, so maybe the one here at Tohono Chul will try again. The P. fosterianus had one on May 26 and still has more coming. The P. oaxacensis had two flowers on May 27 and has a few buds left. The P. serpentinus on the grounds has stopped producing buds, but the plant in the pot has three that will go in the next few days. The one at my home already had one flower on May 30.

P. fosterianus

That’s it for now, but it is almost time for me to start daily walks to visit the Queen and try to keep up with her moody progress. Talk to you all soon and have a good weekend.

Until Next Time – Lee Mason, Director of General Services, Tohono Chul